Improvement in fire-escapes



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN S. SHAW, OF JOPLIN, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN Fl RE-ESCAPES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 203,077, dated April 30, 1878; application filed January 28, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. SHAW, of J oplin, county of Jasper, and State of Missouri, have invented a new and Improved Fire-Escape, of which the following is a specification:

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a front view of my improved fireescape as stored away in the hollow sill of a Window, the dotted lines indicating its position for use; and Fig. 2 is a modified form of the ladder.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to furnish a fire-escape for buildings and other purposes that is always ready for use, quickly stored away after use, and of strong and reliable construction. A

The invention will first be described in connection with the drawing, and then pointed out in the claim. 1

Referring to the drawing, A represents a hollow window-sill, made of cast-iron or other material, and with a hinged door, B, that is closed by pivot-studs, sprin g-catches, or in any other suitable manner. The hollow sill forms an interior chamber, in which is stored afolding ladder, O, of any suitable construction, the links and rounds being bent of one piece of wire, of suitable thickness, and jointed together, as shown in Figs. 1 or 2.; or any other construction of folding ladder may be used, provided it is of sufficient length and strength, and capable of being completely stored in the chamber of the hollow sill. The uppermost link of the ladder is attached, by a ring, a, at one end, to a fixed vertical rod, 1), of the hollow sill, and by a chain, 01, attached to the other end of the link and to the sill, so that the ladder is suspended on rod 2) and chain at when taken out of the chamber and dropped with the rounds in horizontal position.

The ladder is dropped at a moment's notice for use, in case of danger, and conveniently stored in the sill by folding the links together, as shown in Fig. 1. Thus a simple,

neat, and always available fire-escape for buildings, mining, and other purposes is furnished.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent The combination of the vertical rod fixed to the sill, the connecting-chain, and the uppermost link of the folding ladder, .the latter being allowed to slide, by means of a ring, along therod, as and for the purpose specified.

JOHN SIMPKIN SHAW.

Witnesses WM. H. MGGOWAN, GEORG CLARANOE. 

